TU4.7 Audit of pilonidal sinus surgery – our experience in a district general hospital

Abstract

Abstract Aim Pilonidal disease is a common condition affecting the subcutaneous tissue of the natal cleft. There are a number of different types of operations with varied success rate. The purpose of this audit is to analyse our cohort of patients who underwent pilonidal sinus surgery and look at certain risk factors such as smoking and obesity in predicting 30-day post-operative infection rates. Method A cohort of 63 patients who underwent all pilonidal sinus surgery between 2017 to 2021 were analysed. Data was gathered using our electronic patient record (Meditech V6). Result Total of 63 patients were analysed with a mean age of 27.9. 86% Male Vs 14% Female. Mean BMI of 30.1. More than half of our cohort underwent Karydakis Procedure (52%), 27% modified Bascom technique, 13% Rhomboid flap and the other 8% of patients were not primarily closed. 37% of our cohort developed post-operative wound infection. Furthermore; more than half (52%) of these patients with wound infections were smokers and also 52% were obese with a BMI of more than 30. Interestingly 83% of these patients were either smokers or obese with a BMI>30. Conclusion Post-operative wound complications are common following pilonidal sinus surgery specially in patients who are smokers and/or have obesity. Patients who undergo flap surgery should be encouraged to stop smoking and to lose weight when necessary otherwise they may face long and complicated post-operative recovery phase leading to significant financial burden on the NHS.